Button clamp for sewing machines



I W. L. BARRON. BUTTON CLAMP FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1919.

1,415,426 Pam; May 9,1922.

4 Q83: INVENTOR' wnussszs: E s- ATTORNEY umrsn sur es WILLIAM. L.

erm" me BARRON, or' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER Manu- FACTURING COMIEAIiIiE',- A 'GQRPO-BATION OF NEW JERSEY. V

BUTTON CLAMP FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1919. Serial No. 300,687."

T 0 (IE 107mm it may c0nce'm Be it known that I, NILLLAM L. BARRON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button Clamps for Sewing Machines, of which thefollo-wing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a button sewing machine and has for an object to provide an improved button-clamp therefor adapted to securely hold buttons of a large variety of sizes in respect to both diameter and thickness. v

A further object of the invention is the provision of a button-clamp with simple and readily accessible means for adjusting the clamp-jaws when changing from-thick to thin'buttons or'from'large to small buttons,

In its preferred form the button-clamp comprises a carrier'or supporting bar sustaining a pair of spring-pressed levers whose free ends are directed toward each other and constitute button-clamp aws having button-gripping faces for engaging the peripheryof the button. Positioned between the button-clamp aws andmovable laterally therewith. .is a pair of button confining fingers,-whose free ends are adjustable along the facesof the button clampjaws toward and r'from button-supporting means arranged beneath the clamp-jaw's.- The button-confining fingers; near their forward ends,are-operat1vely connected with an arm of an adjusting lever, mounted upon'the sup-- porting bar, bywhich/th'e fingers may be shifted toward" and from the supporting means, clamping means being provided for "retainingthe button-confining fingers in adjusted position; .Secured' upon the carrier or'supporting bar'is the usual spring-pressed stop-lever which controls the relative ad-f 'justment of the clamp-jaws toward and from and thickness ofbntton are independent of Fig; 2 is atop plan view of the same. Fig.

3 -is a bottom plan view omitting the button isu'pporting plate. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the clamp holding a large button and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail. through the braclret for holding the adjusting lever in posit1on.-

In the present instance,the work-holder is ofthe well known type disclosed in the patent to J.-J. Sullivan, No. 777,564 "of VDecember 13, 190 1, and it may be applied to the machine rdisclosed in said patent, It comprlses-a slide-bar 1: sustaining a worksupport in they form of a feed-plate 2 at its.

forward end. Mounted upon theslide-bar 1, at its rearward end is the block 3, a portion only of which is shown iniFig. 1, in which is loosely mounted the downturned extremity of the-forwardly projecting buttonclamp carrier t-which is' pressed downwardly toward the slide-ba'r 1 by the usual leaf spring 5; Suitablymounted uponthe carrier 4: are the reciprocably movable button-edge clamping levers: 6, '6, "formed at their inturned "extremities 1 with opposed clamp-jaws 7 having v preferably.concave button-gripping faces 8 forengaging the periphery of a button In As" herein shown, these faces are notconvergently inclined upwardly as has been-common heretofore. Pro-= jecting, downwardly from the levers 6, 6, are pins 9, 9, "which enter the'rearwardly cdnverging slots 10,10, formed in the slideplate 11 secured to the usu'al'slide-bar12 sustained beneath the carrier 4' and carrying the Patented May 9,1922. 7

stud-screw .13 which projects upwardly through aislotlt in said carrier'and is connected by a spring 15 with the clamp-lifting post16. 1 v.

The carrier 4 sustains the usual adjustable stop-lever 17 which limits the forward movement o'f the stud screw' 13 to control the approach of the levers 6, 6, under the action of thespringj 15 and plate 11'. This lever-is pivoted at one end to the carrier 4' by the screw 1'8 and is formed at its opposite end with a'finger-piece 19 and: an adjacent segpassesthe' clamp-screw 21 entering the carrier. When the stop-lever is set to space-themental slotted portion 20 through 1 which clamp-jaws 7,7, a given distance apart, but- I tons gwhos'e diameters are: only slightly greater. than said given distance; may be readily forced between said yielding-jawsand into engagement with the'us'ual-button centering stop 22 carriedby the slide bar 12.

Secured to the under side of-thecarrier 4 i H by means of the screw 23 and centering pin 24, is the spring plate 25 whose forward-portion is directed beneath the clamp-jaws 7 to form a support for and engage the bottomface of the button when it is inserted between the jaws as fully disclosed in the Patent No. 7 77 564: previously referred to. The sup porting plate 25 has laterally extending portions 26, 26, spaced apart to afford a clearance for the fastening stitches which secure the button to the fabric.

Suitably mounted upon pivot-screws 2T, 27 entering lugs depending from the rear ends of the clamping levers 6, 6, are the levers 28, 28, whose free ends are directed between and adjacent the inner button-gripping faces 8, 8, of the clamp-jaws 7, 7, and terminate in buttonconfining fingers 29, 29 adapted to engage the upper face of a button. The levers 28, 28, are perforated intermediate their ends to loosely receive a cross-pin 30 which has a link connection 31 with the arm 32 of the adjusting lever fulcrumed upon the screw-pin 35 passing through the bracket 36 and entering a suitably threaded aperture in the adjusting lever. The bracket36, which is secured to the carrier 4 by the fastening screws 37, is provided with an arcuate slot 38 to receive the adjusting screw 39 which enters a suitably threaded aperture in the adjusting lever 33, a represented in Fig. 5. It will be observed that the levers 28, 28, being mounted upon the levers 6, 6, move laterally therewith in the adjustment of the clamp-jaws and by means of the adjusting lever 33 they can be moved toward and from the supporting plate 26 independently of the spreading adjustment. By reason of this readily accessible hifting means, while the button clamp-jaws remain in operative position, the butt0n-confining fingers 29 may be set in any desired initial working position or elevation with respect to the button supporting plate, the

screw 39 retaining the'fingers in such adjusted position to insure their spacing apart from the button supporting plate in readiness for receiving buttons of a given thickness.

In the use of the device, the clamp-jaws 7 7, are first adjusted to conform approximately with the diameter of the button 6 by setting the stop-lever 17 and after the button has been inserted between the jaws, the button-confining fingers 29, 29 are set to conform with the thickness of the style of button to be handled by lowering them upon the button resting upon the supporting plate 26.

While I have shown and described the pre ferred embodiment of my invention. it is to be understood that the form and arrangement of its-essential elements are susceptible of material modification within the scope of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what-I claim herein is 1. A button-clamp for sewing machines comprising a carrier, button clamp-jaws sustained by said carrier, button-confining fingers interposed between said jaws, and means readily accessible whileithe button clampjaws remain inoperative relation, for shifting the button confining fingers relatively to said jaws.

2. A button-clamp for sewing machines, comprising a carrier, button clamp jaws sustained by said carrier, button-supporting means, and button-confining fingers movable laterally with said jaws with means for adjusting their initial position toward and from said supporting means in readiness for the reception of a button.

3. A button-clamp for sewing machines, comprising a carrier, button-grippinglevers with opposed jaws movably mounted upon said carrier, button-supporting means located beneath said jaws and independent thereof, button confining fingers also mounted upon said gripping levers, and means for adjusting said fingers toward and from said support.

4. A button-clamp for sewing machines, comprising a carrier, opposed button-gripping jaws movably mounted upon said carrier, button-supporting means, button-confining fingers mounted between said jaws for adjustment toward and from said supporting means, and means for maintaining said finger in adjusted position.

5. A button-clamp for sewing machines,

comprising a carrier, opposed button gripping jaws mounted upon said carrier, means for simultaneousl mOVIII sald' awstoward and from each other, button supporting.

means, button confining fingers also sustained by said carrier, and means for shifting said fingers toward and'from the button supporting means and comprising a plurality of connected elements movable together as a unit in performing said shifting action.

6. A button clamp for sewing machines,

comprising a carrier, simultaneously mov-' able button cl amp-j aws sustained by said carrier button supporting means also sustained by said carrier independently of said jaws, button confining fingers supported by said carrier, and means readilyaccessible while the button clamp jaws remain in operative position for shifting the button confining-fingers toward and from :the'button supporting means.

7. A button-clamp for sewing machinescomprising a carrier, opposed button gripping jaws sustained thereby and connected for reciprocal movement thereon, means for imparting to said jaws button gripping movements, button confiningyfingers also sus-- 8. A button-clamp for sewing machines comprising means for yieldingly gripping the periphery of a button, confining means engaging the opposite faces of the button, and means for adjusting the spacing apart of the second-named means in readiness for receiving buttons of different thicknesses.

9. A button-clamp for sewing machines, comprising a carrier, button-gripping levers mounted upon said carrier and having at their extremities button-gripping faces, button-confining fingers mounted at their rear ends upon the button-gripping levers with their forward ends adjustable across the faces of the button-gripping levers, and means for adjusting the position of said fingers with respect to said buttongripping faces.

10. A button-clamp for sewing machines, comprising a carrier, button-gripping levers mounted upon said carrier, button-supporting means, button-confining fingers mov able laterally with said button-gripping levers and an adjusting lever also sustained by said carrier and operatively connected with said button-confining fingers for moving the latter toward and from the buttonsupporting means.

11. A button-clam for sewing machines comprising a carrier, button-clam ing levers mounted upon said carrier an having at their extremities button-gripping faces, button-supporting means independent of said clamping levers, button-confining fin gers mounted at their rear ends upon said clamping levers and having their forward ends disposed adjacent, said button-gripping faces, a cross pin in operative engagement with said button-confining fingers, and an a 4O for retaining said button-face engaging means rigidly in adjusted position, and

means for engaging the other faceof the button.

In testimony whereof, I have'signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM L. BARRON. 

